Guinness Beer Beef Stew

Guinness Beer Beef Stew

with biscuit topping

It’s winter in Detroit and lets face it, it’s cold, there is a lot of snow, and we’re hungry.  Midwesterners have an ingrained gene in them where the minute the cold weather hits, appetites start yelling to be fed as if it is their last meal.  The best way I know to combat a hungry stomach is with a rich and hearty stew.

I have made beef stew a lot throughout the years, but recently I got a wild hair and thought it would be fun to change the recipe up a little, especially when I found a 4-pack of Guinness Beer in my boyfriend’s refrigerator.  I am a huge Guinness Beer fan.  I love the dry Irish stout with its signature “tang” flavoring.  I have had Beer Battered Fish and beer flavored Shepard’s Pie in the past, but never thought to add it to my stew since I normally make it with a deep red wine, a mixture of fresh vegetables, and beef tips.

I grew up in an Italian American family outside Chicago.  Like most Italian moms, mine was a maestro in the kitchen with most of her dishes revolving around some form of protein and pasta.  My mom’s idea of “beef stew” had more of an Italian flare to it and wouldn’t even be considered stew by most.  Instead of beef tips she would make bricole and braise it all morning in her gravy (red sauce) and then serve it over rigatoni for a Sunday dinner.  The only vegetable added was the occasional frozen bag of peas that she needed to get rid of.  So the idea of me adding beer, let alone an Irish beer (gasp!) would probably make her cringe a little on the inside.

Personally, this is probably my favorite meal that I can eat throughout the seasons.  I love the thick gravy, tender meat, and vegetables that meld together.  I usually pick up a nice crusty bread for dipping or bake fresh biscuits right one top.  The great thing about this meal is you can pretty much use any vegetables you like and if you are in a pinch, you can even use frozen vegetables, which I have done in the past.  All in all it is the perfect meal for that cold winter night.

Ingredients:

• 1½ lbs. Beef Tips or a good hunk of meat cubed into 1 inch pieces
• 1½ cups of carrots, chopped
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 package of baby Portobello mushrooms
• 1 small can of tomato paste
• 1 bag of mini potatoes, cubed
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• Fresh Beef Medley of Herbs Bundle- rosemary, thyme, oregano (I would wrap this in some cheese cloth and cooking twine while you cook and then remove the herbs before you add the cornstarch).
• ½ bottle of red wine (I usually use a very deep red wine)
• ½ cup of water
• 1 can Guinness Beer
• 3 tbsp. Better than Bouillon beef flavor (comes in a jar and looks like a brown paste).
• 3 tbsp. Cornstarch
• 1 pack of Pillsbury dough honey flavored biscuits (Optional, but really worth it).
• Salt/pepper

Directions:

1. Brown the beef tips then remove and set aside (you can dredge them in a little four, but I tend to skip this because they are not large pieces of meat). Brown garlic in the same pot with some olive oil over medium heat.
2. Brown garlic in the same pot with some olive oil over medium heat.
3. Add in carrots, onion, mushrooms, and sauté for about 5-7 minutes over medium heat.
4. Add in potatoes and sauté for another 10 minutes over medium heat.
5. Add in wine and tomato paste. Cook it for about 5 to 10 minutes on medium (you want it bubbling but not boiling).
6. Add in browned meat, Guinness beer (I used a big pot so you may not need the water) and herb bundle.
7. Bring to a boil, and then set to simmer on low heat with the lid on. Add salt and pepper to taste as you cook. Give it a couple stirs as it cooks. The broth is going to be bitter until it cooks down so don’t freak.
8. After about 2 hours (depending on size) take a cup of the broth in a separate bowl and mix in the cornstarch until it’s smooth with a fork or a mini whisk. Add to pot. This will thicken the liquid to a gravy. I usually do this twice since I like thicker gravy.
9. Let cook for another 5-10 minutes. The color will go deep brown. Keep stirring it occasionally so the bottom of the pot doesn’t burn.
10. Remove from stove and carefully transfer to a deep baking dish. Open the biscuit dough and lay them on top of the stew and then bake following the directions on the wrapper. Mine took about 12-15 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool then serve.

*You can also transfer the stew to mini individual cast iron bowls and then add 1 biscuit to the top of each one. It works great for a dinner party!